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Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Route, riders, TV and all you need to know
Despite its name, the one day Gent-Wevelgem classic no longer starts in Gent (or Ghent, if you prefer), but at the Menin Gate in Ypres, commemorating the First World War. The official name of the race also references the Great War: ‘Gent Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields’. The men’s race covers 253.1km, the women’s race 171.2km on Sunday 24th March 2024.
Taking place a week before the Tour of Flanders on Sunday 31st March, the race has a different character to De Ronde due to the comparative paucity of cobbled climbs, the last of which is the Kemmelberg, the highest point in West Flanders. The weather can make the difference too; much of the early racing is on flat, exposed roads towards the Belgian coast. Crosswinds can break up the field too. In 2015 they were fierce enough to result in riders being blown into ditches as only 39 finished the race.
The inaugural men’s race was back in 1934 and won by Gustave Van Belle. The women’s race held its first edition in 2012, with Lizzie Deignan the winner.
In 2023, Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike) and teammate Wout van Aert launched a successful 50km attack. The pair would decide the win between them, with it ultimately going to Laporte, and in doing so set off lengthy debates about ‘gifts’ in cycling. Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime) won the women’s race with a 40km solo attack, a wrong turn in the final five kilometres ultimately not deterring her from victory.
Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Key information
Date: Sunday 24th March 2024
Start: Ypres/Ieper, Belgium
Finish: Wevelgem, Belgium
Distance: Men’s – 253.1km; Women’s – 171.2km
UK television coverage: Discovery+, Eurosport
2023 winners: Men’s – Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike); Women’s – Marlen Reusser (SD Worx-Protime)
Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Men’s route
Gent-Wevelgem is a purely West Flanders race, remaining close to the French border for a majority of the route. Departing from Ypres, the peloton will ride 156km before hitting the first climb of the day: Scherpenberg. They’ll cover nine climbs in total, the final coming 35km and in the shape of the Kemmelberg.
From there, it’s a relatively straight and flatter run-in to the finish in Wevelgem. The so-called ‘Sprinters Classic’ has seen winners such as Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) and Alexander Kristoff (then UAE Team Emirates, now Uno-X) over the years.
Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Women’s route
The women’s Gent-Wevelgem also departs from Ypres, heading north towards Veurne. The first climb of the day (Scherpenberg) hits after 106km in the saddle, with six more climbs to follow. The final hill is the Kemmelberg, just like the men’s race.
A flatter 35km follows to the finish in Wevelgem. Hopefully with no wrong turns this year.
Gent Wevelgem 2024: How to watch
The Gent-Wevelgem 2024 races will be available to watch in the UK on Discovery+ for £6.99 per month with the basic package, which includes cycling and all other Eurosport programmes. It will also be shown on the TV channel Eurosport 2 in the UK.
If it’s not being shown in your country, you may be able to watch coverage using a VPN – Virtual Private Network – which allows users to mask their IP address and watch geo-blocked content, provided they don’t need to pay for a subscription. This is also helpful for watching paid-for coverage while travelling abroad in countries without access.
One such example is ExpressVPN, which is very well reviewed, helps users to find way to watch cycling without having to pay for broadcasters services, and costs £5.36 per month, with three months free. Other options include NordVPN, Surfshark and Kapersky.
Men’s Gent-Wevelgem 2024
Discovery+: 12:40 – 16:15
Eurosport 2: 14:15 – 16:45
Women’s Gent-Wevelgem 2024
Discovery+: 15:00 – 17:25
Eurosport 2: 16:45 – 18:00
Men’s Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Start list
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
Women’s Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Start list
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
Women’s Gent-Wevelgem: Previous winners
- 2023: Marlen Reusser
- 2022: Elisa Balsamo
- 2021: Marianne Vos
- 2020: Jolien D’Hoore
- 2019: Kirsten Wild
- 2018: Marta Bastianelli
- 2017: Lotta Henttala
- 2016: Chantal van den Broek-Blaak
- 2015: Floortje Mackaij
- 2014: Lauren Hall
- 2013: Kirsten Wild
- 2012: Lizzie Deignan
Men’s Gent-Wevelgem: Previous winners
- 2023: Christophe Laporte
- 2022: Biniam Girmay
- 2021: Wout van Aert
- 2020: Mads Pedersen
- 2019: Alexander Kristoff
- 2018: Peter Sagan
- 2017: Greg van Avermaet
- 2016: Peter Sagan
- 2015: Luca Paolini
- 2014: John Degenkolb
- 2013: Peter Sagan
- 2012: Tom Boonen
- 2011: Tom Boonen
- 2010: Bernhard Eisel
- 2009: Edvald Boasson-Hagen
- 2008: Óscar Freire
- 2007: Marcus Burghardt
- 2006: Thor Hushovd
- 2005: Nico Mattan
- 2004: Tom Boonen
- 2003: Andreas Klier
- 2002: Mario Cipollini
- 2001: George Hincapie
- 2000: Geert Van Bondt
- 1999: Tom Steels
- 1998: Franck Vandenbroucke
- 1997: Philippe Gaumont
- 1996: Tom Steels
- 1995: Lars Michaelsen
- 1994: Wilfried Peeters
- 1993: Mario Cipollini
- 1992: Mario Cipollini
- 1991: Djamolidine Abdoujaparov
- 1990: Herman Frison
- 1989: Gerrit Solleveld
- 1988: Sean Kelly
- 1987: Teun van Vliet
- 1986: Guido Bontempi
- 1985: Eric Vanderaerden
- 1984: Guido Bontempi
- 1983: Leo van Vliet
- 1982: Frank Hoste
- 1981: Jan Raas
- 1980: Henk Lubberding
- 1979: Francesco Moser
- 1978: Ferdi Van den Haute
- 1977: Bernard Hinault
- 1976: Freddy Maertens
- 1975: Freddy Maertens
- 1974: Barry Hoban
- 1973: Eddy Merckx
- 1972: Roger Swerts
- 1971: Georges Pintens
- 1970: Eddy Merckx
- 1969: Willy Vekemans
- 1968: Walter Godefroot
- 1967: Eddy Merckx
- 1966: Herman Vanspringel
- 1965: Noel De Pauw
- 1964: Jacques Anquetil
- 1963: Benoni Beheyt
- 1962: Rik Van Looy
- 1961: Frans Aerenhouts
- 1960: Frans Aerenhouts
- 1959: Leon Van Daele
- 1958: Noël Foré
- 1957: Rik Van Looy
- 1956: Rik Van Looy
- 1955: Alberic Schotte
- 1954: Rolf Graf
- 1953: Raymond Impanis
- 1952: Raymond Impanis
- 1951: André Rosseel
- 1950: Alberic Schotte
- 1949: Marcel Kint
- 1948: Valère Ollivier
- 1947: Maurice Desimpelaere
- 1946: Ernest Sterckx
- 1945: Robert Van Eenaeme
- 1944: No race
- 1943: No race
- 1942: No race
- 1941: No race
- 1940: No race
- 1939: Andre Declerck
- 1938: Hubert Godaert
- 1937: Robert Van Eenaeme
- 1936: Robert Van Eenaeme
- 1935: Albert Depreitere
- 1934: Gustave Van Belle
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